Mercedes-AMG C63 Spied Hiding 500 HP Four-Cylinder PHEV Powertain

The twin-turbo V8 will be phased out and replaced by a four-pot-based PHEV with similar power levels - it could become the C63e.

By: Andrei Nedelea

Mar 16, 2021 at 1:14pm ET

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Mercedes-Benz, like all other automakers, is looking at ways of reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles, and one way it’s doing it is by trying to build cars that perform well in standardized efficiency tests, like PHEVs. This, sadly, has now even extended to one of Mercedes’ most loved performance models, the Mercedes-AMG C63.

Now I know you’re reading this on an EV-centric site and you may have a tendency to demonize anything with a tailpipe, but that V8 is one heck of a way to burn some gasoline, if there was ever such a thing. One of the best ways, in fact, which is why we’re not especially thrilled by the news that Mercedes won’t be putting it in the C-Class any more, replacing it with a 2-liter four-cylinder-based PHEV system instead - we would have preferred they just go pure-EV instead, and create a rival for the BMW i4M.

Gallery: 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63e Spied

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The outgoing V8 was a peach, and we doubt this new PHEV C63e will provide the same thrills, regardless of the fact that it is said to produce comparable power (and possibly a lot more torque). Our spies recently snapped a prototype that has all the telltale AMG trinkets we’re used to seeing on the top of the range performance Mercedes models, only this camouflaged C-Class has a charge port door on its right rear flank - in fact it looks like they mirrored the fuel filler door on the other side, only the one on the right is surely hiding a charge port (hopefully it’s a CCS).

In previous Mercedes-Benz PHEV sedans, like the C300de that I drove not long ago, the charge port was actually located on the rear bumper. It seems Mercedes has ditched that approach in the quest for symmetry. Right now we don’t have any official specs or a set launch date for this first ever C-Class AMG plug-in hybrid, but there’s a good chance we will see it before 2021 is over.